“What’s wrong? What was the phone call about?” Charlotte grabbed a glass of tea from the table and handed it to Kathryn.
It had taken several moments before Kathryn was finally able to speak. “It’s Marilyn…she’s dead. The whole family is dead.”
A collective gasp filled the room as the women tried us process this announcement.
“No, that’s not possible. I just saw them yesterday. She was in her garden with Bethany. She can’t be dead,” Charlotte fought back the tears forming in her eyes.
“How did it happen?” Donna asked, hoping this was all a mistake.
“The Sheriff says that Marilyn carried the babies down to the basement and killed them first by slitting their throats then she stabbed Charles in the back and pushed him down the stairs into the basement.” Kathryn shook her head from side-to-side, not wanting to believe her own words.
“You said they were all dead. What happened to Marilyn?” Donna’s face was wet with tears as she tried to compose herself.
Kathryn looked directly at the group of woman, not wanting to say the next words. “The Sheriff found her slumped over Charles’ body with a bullet in her head. He surmised once she realized what she had done, she couldn’t live with the guilt of her brutal actions.”
“Oh, …my… Lord,” the women all stammered in unison at hearing the fate of their friend.
~~~
“Mrs. Mays, are you okay?” Jeff reached over and gently touched her on the hand.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine. Would you like some more lemonade?”
“No, thank you; are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Jeff could see the worried expression on her face.
“I’m fine. I just remembered something that happened a long time ago. I really like you, and I hope we are friends,” she looked at Jeff with a toothless grin.
“Yes, Ma’am, I think we’re friends,” Jeff returned the smile.
“Good. First of all, I want you to call me, Kathryn. Mrs. Mays is far too formal for friends, okay?”
Jeff nodded his head with a big smile on his face.
“Wonderful. Second, as my friend, I want you to make me a promise.” Her expression suddenly grew serious.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“If your mama ever starts acting strange, I want you to run over here as fast as you can. Do you understand me?”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Mrs… I mean, Kathryn.”
“Please just trust me, okay?”
“Okay, I will.” Jeff looked up at the clock hanging on the wall above the kitchen window. “Oh, man, I need to get going. I have chores to do at home.”
He jumped up from the table and put his dirty glass in the sink. “Goodbye, I’ll see you next week.”
“Goodbye, and remember what I said.” Once he was gone, Kathryn stood and walked over to the sink to wash his glass. She glanced out of the window and watched him grab the lawn mower and start pushing it down the dirt road toward his house.
“Dear Lord, please watch over that boy and his family, and keep whatever evil lives in that house from harming them as it did my friend and her family all those years ago.”
Chapter 5
Jeff sat on the stool, wondering what had upset Kathryn so much. He positioned the milk bucket under the cow and then gently patted her on the side. “Good girl, at least the only thing you have to worry about is eating and getting milked twice a day.”
The cow lifted her head out of the trough and looked back at Jeff with a mouthful of hay.
“You look like you’re enjoying that,” Jeff chuckled when the cow shook her head and returned to her meal. “Well, I better get you milked before you finish eating.”
Jeff leaned his head against the cow’s side and began milking her, lost in his thoughts. The bucket was nearly full, and the cow had about finished eating when Jeff heard a strange noise outside.
“Who’s there? Lori, if that’s you trying to scare me, it’s not working,” Jeff hoped to not only convince her, but himself.
Silence.
“Come on, Lori; knock it off.” Jeff stood, moved the bucket aside, and then slowly walked toward the barn door. Just as he was about to step outside, a gust of wind slammed the barn door shut. This, of course, caused Jeff to jump back and the cow to moo.
“Don’t be afraid, girl. It was just the wind.” Jeff hoped his words were true, as he tried to shake off the feeling that something strange was about to happen. He then decided to walk over to the barn door and look outside.
It seemed surprisingly cool for a late summer evening. The humidity of the day seemed to have dissipated, and the common flying bugs were nowhere to be found. Jeff looked around the area, but nothing seemed out of place. The laundry that his mom had hanging on the clothesline was still there, as well as the wheelbarrow his dad had leaned against the shed; nothing appeared out of place. Deciding that he must have just imagined the sound, Jeff turned and walked back inside of the barn to put the cow in her stall for the night. After she was secure, Jeff picked up the bucket of milk and walked outside it was louder.
“What is that?” Jeff suddenly had a strange feeling overcome him. As, though, something horrible had happened.
“Stop it; you’re probably just jumpy after everything that’s happened lately,” Jeff chided himself. He knew he was just being foolish, but for some reason, he could not shake the feeling that he needed to prepare for danger.
Pushing the unsettling fear aside, Jeff walked toward the Hog pen. As he walked, Jeff thought back to the first time Lori fed the pigs their bucket full of sour mash. He knew that he would never forget the expression on her face when she lifted the lid off the barrel of fermented corn.
“Oh, my God, they eat this stuff?” she had gagged while stepping away from the barrel.
“Sure they do, and they love it,” Jeff remembered laughing at the way she covered her mouth as though she was about to be sick.
Jeff knew his sister would never be the type to want to stay on a farm. Lori would often say that as soon as she was eighteen-years-old, she was moving back to civilization.
“Well, I don’t care what she thinks; I like it here.”
Jeff had just walked around the chicken coop when he heard the strange sound again, and now he realized that it seemed to be coming from the direction of the Hog’s pen.
“Damn, what have they done now?” Jeff picked up the pace, hoping they hadn’t broken anything.
When he rounded the shed, what he saw stopped him in his tracks. “What the hell?”
The sight of blood and pig body parts on the ground inside of the pen caused Jeff to take a step back. While he looked around the area, he slowly set the bucket on the ground next to him.
He heard the sound once more and this time realized it was the broken gate to the pen, gently swinging on the only attached hinge.
“What did this?” the words escaped his lips, without him realizing that he had said them.
He knew wolves would not be able to rip the heavy gate loose. No; this had to have been something much larger.
As he surveyed the area, something caught his eye. “Oh, God…”
Jeff had never been one to be squeamish, but what he saw on the roof of the shelter made his stomach empty its contents on the ground at his feet.
Once he had composed himself, Jeff looked back up at the offending object. There in the glow of the evening sun was the head of one of the pigs. It was sitting on the edge of the roof with entrails dangling from the snout, like a warning to others of the carnage bestowed on the helpless victims.
“No wolf could have done this. Heck, I don’t even think it could have been a bear.” Suddenly a sickening idea came to Jeff. “Could this be a warning to me?”
While he had not been the one to shoot at the young creature, he was there. He then had a horrifying thought come into his mind, Mom…Lori…
As he rushed toward the house, Jeff said a pr
ayer that they were both in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. With each step, he wondered if he would find the same scene in the house as he had at the hog’s pen.
“Mom!…Lori!…” his heart raced as he ran up the steps to the back door.
“My goodness, what’s the matter with you,” Velma turned away from the stove when Jeff swung open the door and rushed inside.
“I was… I thought maybe…” the words caught in his throat with each gasp for air.
“What is wrong with you? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost,” Velma could see he was upset, but this was beyond just being upset. He looked genuinely frightened. “Come on, sweetheart. Take a seat and calm down then tell me what has you so upset.”
Velma handed him a glass of water then she sat in the chair across the table from him and waited for him to speak.
Jeff took a sip of the water, then he sat the glass on the table. “Mom, I don’t quite know how to tell you this…”
Velma could tell by his demeanor this news would not be good.
Jeff swallowed again and then spoke, his words causing Velma to gasp.
“Something slaughtered the pigs. They’re all dead, and whatever did it put the head of one of them on the roof of the shelter in their pen.” Tears streamed down his cheeks as the vision of what he had found replayed in his mind.
“What? But how? When?” Velma felt an ominous chill consume her body. She looked at Jeff for an answer.
“It had to have happened while I was at Mrs. Mays. They were all there this morning, but after milking the cow I went to feed them and found…” he could not bring himself to say the words again.
“I didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary today…unless…” her mind drifted to the time she had spent in the basement making some lye soap and rearranging the shelves with her canned goods.
“Mom, where’s Lori?” Jeff sat upright in his seat, suddenly realizing he had not heard her when he came into the house.
“Oh, she wanted to go shopping in town with one of her friends. Her mother took the girls with her to get some last minute school supplies. She should be coming home any time now, why?”
Jeff exhaled and slouched back in his seat. “Good, at least I know she’s safe.”
Velma could not believe what he was saying. How could something have killed the pigs and not alerted her to their presence? She then realized why Jeff was concerned about where Lori was. “You think whatever killed our pigs, killed that family too, don’t you?”
Jeff gazed into his mother’s frightened face and shook his head, “Yes, I do.”
“But why would they…”
Jeff cut her off before she could continue, “Mom, I was there when Jimmy shot at the small creature.”
“What…what are you saying?” Velma’s eyes were wide with fear as she thought of what had happened to Jimmy’s entire family.
Jeff swallowed, trying to think of how best to tell his mother what had happened that afternoon along the creek. “Remember when Lori, and I went for that walk?”
Velma silently nodded her head.
“Well, I saw something up on the bluff on the other side of the creek. It was down on it haunches, just watching us.”
“Down on his haunches; I don’t understand. Was it a man?” Velma reached for a napkin to wipe a stray tear that was flowing down her cheek.
Jeff shook his head. “No, I don’t know what it was. The sun was to its back so I couldn’t make it out very well, but I can tell you it wasn’t anything I’ve ever seen before.”
Velma tried to make sense of his words, but she found her mind going back to whatever had killed the Coltons. “So, what do you think it was?”
“I don’t know, but whatever it was I think others of its kind didn’t like that Jimmy shot it.”
“He did what? Oh, my, do you think that’s why they were all killed?” Velma pressed her hand to her chest, trying to steady her beating heart. “You don’t believe that they are after us, do you? Does your father know about this?”
Jeff reached across the table and took his mother’s hand in his. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I never thought…”
The sound of the back door slamming shut caused them both to jump in their seat.
“You’re sorry for what? What did you do this time,” Lori snickered as she walked over to the table and sat next to Jeff.
Before Jeff could respond, Velma spoke, her words dripping with fear and anger, “Don’t pick on your brother. Something horrible has happened, so this is no time for foolishness.”
Lori was taken aback by this harsh response. “Okay, I’m sorry. Sheez, I was only joking.”
Jeff glanced over at his sister and forced a smile. “That’s okay, Mom; she didn’t mean anything. We need to tell her, though.”
Lori looked at Jeff and then to her mother. “Okay, what’s going on here?”
Neither of them responded.
Fear gripped Lori as her mind began to create the most frightening of scenarios. “Oh, my God, it’s not Dad, is it? Has something happened to Dad?”
“No, no, nothing has happened to your father,” Velma insisted, hoping this would calm Lori.
Lori’s brow furrowed. She gazed at her mother as though trying to evaluate her honesty, “Okay, what happened that has the two of you so upset?”
Velma glanced at Jeff. She was at a loss of how to explain what had happened. Velma knew it was her place to explain things to Lori, but she could not seem to find the proper words.
Lori at seeing the pained expression on her mother’s face turned toward Jeff. “Well, maybe you can explain things to me?”
Jeff was surprised that Lori would turn to him. She had never respected his opinion before, so he was caught off guard that she would now.
He swallowed to steady his nerves before he spoke, “I had mowed Mrs. Mays yard today. We were sitting in her kitchen talking and drinking lemonade when I realized it was getting late. So, I rushed home and went out to the barn to milk the cow and do my chores. When I had finished milking the cow, I heard a strange noise.”
Lori crossed her arms and glared at Jeff as though annoyed that he was dragging out his explanation.
Seeing the expression on her face, he decided he would just blurt out what he had found. “Something killed the pigs. I don’t believe it was wolves or a big cat because whatever did it ripped them apart without eating them.”
The expression of annoyance on Lori’s face was now replaced with one of shock and fear. “I…I don’t understand. Are you saying that you believe the same creatures that killed Jimmy’s family, killed our pigs?”
Lori glanced over at her mother and then back to Jeff.
“I don’t know, but I’m worried that it could be.” Jeff hung his head, no wanting to look into the frightened face of his sister.
“Mom, have you called Dad and told him?” Lori turned to face Velma, her face now ashen white with fear.
Velma shook her head, “No, I haven’t. I didn’t want to upset him at work. He’ll be home soon, so we’ll tell him then.”
“I don’t understand how this could have happened. You need to call Dad…”
Jeff interrupted, “Listen, there’s nothing that Dad can do. When he gets home, he’ll go out and look around. We’re safe. If whatever it was wanted to hurt us, we’d already be dead. I think it was a warning.”
Lori began to speak but decided that Jeff was probably right. “I cannot believe this is happening. First Jimmy’s family and now this. Mom, I’m scared.”
When they had left Amy behind to finish out the school year, Velma had wondered if they were doing the right thing. However, now as she looked into the eyes of her two precious children, she said a silent prayer of thanks that Amy had decided to stay the summer to work on the tomato harvesters. It was hot and dirty work, but the pay was decent, and it would give her some money toward college expenses.
“I know you are.
So am I. Why don’t you help me get dinner ready while your brother takes a shower?” She glanced over at Jeff and smiled, “I’m sorry, but I can smell you all the way across the table.”
Lori nudged Jeff and giggled, “Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but…”
Jeff looked at his sister and grinned, “Hey, I don’t stink. I smell manly.”
“Well, if that’s what a man smells like, I don’t think I’m in any rush to grow up,” Lori teased playfully.
Velma stressed that she wanted to wait until after dinner to tell their father about what had happened to the pigs. “There’s no sense in upsetting him on an empty stomach.”
***
Gene stood in amazement of the carnage before him. “Damn, there’s no way wolves or a wildcat ripped that gate off of the hinges like that.”
“What do you think did it, Dad?” Jeff waited for the answer he dreaded to hear.
“I’m not sure, but I’m leaning to whatever it was that killed that family. Come on, let’s go to the house. I need to call the Sheriff and let him know about this.”
Jeff glanced up at his father and could see the worried expression on his face. Without saying another word, Gene turned around and started walking back toward the house with Jeff silently following behind him. For a brief moment, Jeff turned and looked back over his shoulder at the devastation, wondering what was ahead for his family.
***
The sun was sitting low in the sky when Sheriff Frank Summons arrived with a couple of his Deputies, and two of the local men. Gene had met them at the house and then led them all out to the hog pen.
“Damn, what could have done this?” Carl Hanes, one of the men who worked with Gene at the feed mill groaned, while he shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t know, but I know it wasn’t a pack of wolves or a bear. Look, there are no tracks in the blood. If it were wolves or a bear, there would be tracks.” Frank then grimaced when he realized what he had just said.
“I think it’s one of them Bigfoot creatures, we’ve all heard about that lives in the woods around here,” Jim Knox, a friend of Frank’s chimed in.
Suddenly silence gripped the group of men as they turned and focused their attention on Jim.
Laughter finally broke the uncomfortable silence, as Frank slapped Jim on the shoulder. “Come on, Jim; there ain’t no such thing as a Bigfoot. You’ve been listening to that nutty teacher at the High School again, haven’t you? Besides, there’d be big footprints, right?” Frank laughed, with the rest of the men joining in.